Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-26

ny degrees the position OF the two rather stout
more uh6eara6e, until they nnsiiy grew Se p n
nouQcedly belligerent AT this period OF the battle
my beautiful neighoor suddenly discovered that
one OF the fat women In front OF us had magnifi-
cent head OF hair, and she wondered audibly why
II was covered up by such shocking bonnet This
last stroke was too much, and the fat woman with
sheepish grin removed her preposterous head
gear and placed IL In her lap. The applause that
sreeted her was 50 sincere that IL startled the
resi- OF the house and forced her companion 70 fol-
low her example. Comfort and happiness pre-
vailed thereafter, and the rest OF the evening was
poeSeo In peace BLAKELY HALL
Besieged by Devtlfish.
HOW AN OCTOPUS AND SEVERAL RELATIONS rooE
POSSESSION OF A SCHOONER.
From the New York Sun
The great noise and excitement kicked up IN
America whenever an octopus Is captured seems
queer enough to q sailor who has voyaged to
tropical countries He is by no means a rare sight
In warm latitudes, and the fact that he is not
dreaded. Ike the shark, Is because instances are
rare where he attacks man. I do not believe the
hideous monster ever attacks human beings from
nature never expected them TO prev on the flesh
and bones OF a tough OLD salt My experience with
the terrible creatures has also gone TO prove that
anger is excited.
For over four years was mate and master OF a
small schooner plying between spice Islands and
Signapore in the interest OF an American trader
90 not think made a single trip without seeing
rom one TO dozen OF the horrible devil fish. one
n
rent drfted US close In upon island TO the north
OF the Lesser Timor. We let go the anchor In a
little bay, and when the schooner brought up she
was IN il feet OF water and within 20 feet OF the
beach. AS the weather was hot the sailors slept
on deck, there being one white man and
n mue natives ,n, EVERYTHING passed on quietly
terrible commotion on deck routed me out. IL
seemed that an octopus had crawled up the
its curiosity. but seeing the sleeping men had.
perhaps, also TO crafty its curiosity, flung a
iee.er at one OF them and taken such hold OF mis-
hand and arm that he awoke with a shout OF pain.
The Others were also aroused, and seeing what
had happened they seized whatever weapons were
at hand, and made the octopus release its hold I
came on deck Just as IL fell into the water along
Side, and the splash was as heavy as II a man had
fallen overheard A portion OF the feeler which
had grasped the sailor had been broken on by the
blows. There were three or four feet OF H. ana
for time IL squirned and twisted about the deck
Ike snake. It had touched the mans flesh only
In one spot on the back or the hand but he made as
much ado over tt one would over bullet In the
leg. II was horrible wound, however The flesh
was puckered up and blstered. and the spot where
the cup had taken hold looked Ike an eryspelas
sore. II was long four weeks before the wound
healed, and the scar lett closely resembed that
OF a burn.
had the sailor in the cabin dressing his hand.
and IL was twenty minutes after We had beaten on
the octopus, when there was another cry from the
deck, and heard the men run forw ard and tumble
into the forecastle and slide the cover More from
instinct than any thought OF danger, closed the
cabin door, then the skylight which lighted the
cabin. There was a slide door In the forecastle
bulkhead communicating with the hold, and also
one from the cabin. After two or three minutes
the sailors came climbing over the cargo-we be-
ing about one-thfrd rutland let them into the
cabin. 4 never saw more frightened lot OF men,
and could not at first believe the story they told
They SAID that when the octopus fell into the wa
ter he swan of in the direction OF a rocky reef on
our port quarter and distant about two hundred
feet. After few minutes the men noticed a con-
siderable commotion In the water and this gradu-
ally approached All at once they made out five
or six octopi at the vessels siAe and before they
" sbo
Ing their feelers over the low bulwarks
''There's one OF EN-, sir-thcre's one - shouted
,ne mate az TINS lnoment, and we turned our faces
fee!ers playing over it AT the same moment the
schooner wascanUed 10 port with sudden pull all
OF three streaks or with as much force as strong
pun OF wind would have exercised in open sea
AT this movement all the natives broke out into
yell OF alright, and, as sternly rebuked them,
one OF them exclaimed:
'Oh captain the devil nsh have come aboard,
and not one OF US can escape!
There was no longer any doubt that we were
beset by the creatures. There was not a second
in which the feelers were not playing over the
skylight, and others could be heard fastening TO
and dragging things about the deck As the en-
tire afTair was afterward put In writing sworn TO
by every man on board and left with the repre-
sentative OF the British government at surabaya,
Island OF Java, shall not hesitate here 20 state
particulars. The noise on deck might be nkened
10 a row between four or rve men Everything
movable was was being moved and hung about My
and the feelers found very little TO grasp The
noise made as the cups fastened TO the glass by
suction and let 80 again was like the snap OF a
pair OF pincers. Looking from the bulls eye in
the stern, could see that the water was ali in
comnotion, although there was not a breath OF
had dozen muskets, as many pixies several
cutlaSSes, and nine or ten hatchets In the cabin.
This was the schooners regular armament, for we
were continually among suspicious people. let
the men take their choice OF weapons and then
divided our force, and sent half the number back
TO the forecastle, from which they could open the
a a I flll slid .I,a 4
door OF the companion TO get a look on deck. The
sight was one no man could ever forget. II there
dozen, and il there was one faelcr twisting and
squirming around the decks there were forty.
They were twisted around everything and pulling
al everything. did not have more than thirty
seconds time TO glance around before three or four
feeiers shot at Inc at once, and closed the slide
not a second too soon TO AVOID them
IL was death in the most horrible form to put
foot on the deck, and sent word TO the men In the
forecastle not TO attempt any movement Twas
would tire themselves out and go away after
awhile. and we spoke In whispers, and moved
about as softiy as possible. They had come aboard
O'Clock were still there, though for the last half
hour the noise on deck had been less. This was
movable had gone overheard There was not al
that time belaying-p.n, capstan-bar, stick OF
firewood, oar or loose rope left ON board. The
scuttle butt which no sweeping over US could dis
lodge, had been wrenched from its fastenings and
rolled from stem 10 stern q dozen times Blankets
winch tnc niru hao oiOukut Inc PREVIOUS even
ing had been rent and torn In all sorts OF shapes
as the horrid arms pulled at them The tarpaulus
had been torn from the haJches and dragged
about and had not the hatch covers been securely
hooked, they would certainly have been wrenched
on.
shortly after 10 O'Clock slid back the door TO
secure another look, II seemed as II some OF the
creatures were gone; at least there were not so
many arms twisting about. Lifting my head until
] could see along the port rail- discovered the
beaks OF only TWO octopL Others were In the
water alongside however, and had their feelers
over the rail-; some cling1ng fast TO shroud or
mast, while others were carefully moving about.
breeze had come up, and was angry and i'm
patient at the delay, but restrained myself 70
walt for another half hour. BY that time they
deserted US entirely. From the commotlon In the
water on the rocky reef had no doubt that it was
the den on nesting place OF the creatures and that
they had returned after venting their anger on US
as far as possible. Such r1f1e-rafne never saw
before or after on a vessels deck We could not
put TO sea IN such shape, but had TO threaten the
men with pistol before could get one OF them TO
enter the yawl and pick up the stun floating about
We worked swiftly and Is silently a. possible TO
make good the damage, keeping q man On the LOOK
out all the time, and we were q thankful body Of
men when the anchor was nnally up and We wore
clear OF the bay.
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